5 reasons you’re not as healthy as you should be

Every day you hear about new fitness trends, new workouts, new diets, new cleanses, and all these other things that are supposed to get you fit now with minimal effort. Basically, too many “magic pills” and not enough hard truth. Lets talk about the hard truths of why you’re not as fit as you want to be, and what you can do about it.

1. You make bad food choices.

Diet is 80% of your health and fitness. You see it in how you look, how much fat you carry, and how you feel every day. If you’re fat and tired all the time, chances are your food choices are probably pretty bad. There’s the quick and simple solution to bad eating habits:

Choose foods from meats, vegetables, and fruits as your primary source of calories, with a sprinkling of nuts and unsaturated oils as bonus.

Eat slowly until you feel satiated. More than likely you’re full before you think.

2. You don’t move enough.

It’s not just about the time in the gym. The problem is you’re not moving enough during your everyday life! According to the U.S. Census there are about 190 million employed people in the United States, and of those about 70% have jobs that require extensive sitting. But siting down all day isn’t natural or good for you! When you don’t move, your joints begin freezing up, your muscles begin to weaken, and your posture suffers. The result is your body doesn’t move or perform like it should.

Here’s your simple answer: for every 8 hours of sitting/standing still, you need at least 1 hour of actively walking. If you can leave the desk for 8-10 minutes every hour, you’re golden!

3. You psych yourself out.

Stop telling yourself how fat, unhealthy, and terrible you are. Bad choices, your environment, and genetics can play a huge role in living a healthy lifestyle. Don’t beat yourself up over the fact that you’re not perfect. The biggest roadblock most people have in making healthy choices is their own mind. Your job is to overcome your bad urges and replace them with healthy habits.

Don’t eat if you’re not actually hungry. If you’re not sure, chew some gum and have some water, wait 10 minutes, and see if you still feel hungry.

Don’t make bad food choices just because someone else does. That’s not a reason; it’s a really dumb excuse.

The best way to make good progress is to compound good choices one on top of the next. The best way to fail is to keep making bad choices just because “I messed up once so what’s the point?”

Don’t worry about what other people think. If they care about you, they want you to be healthy. If they don’t, then f**k ’em!

4. Your friends and/or family are holding you back.

If your friends, spouse, or family are making bad healthy decisions, chances are you are too. When you notice this, stop doing it! You know that extra slice of cake isn’t a good idea, so don’t have one just because your brother did! Don’t parrot bad behavior.

At the same time, people close to you might get upset, degrading, or angry when you start making better health choices. Why? Because they’re making bad choices and they know it. Your actions make them feel inferior, and that’s on them. Don’t be unhealthy to spare the feelings of someone who can’t be supportive of your healthier lifestyle. If anything, use this as a test of who really cares and who doesn’t.

5. You don’t rest enough.

Hard work is great, but you need to recover too. When you first get started, give yourself a day or two of rest between workouts. The caveat is that you should never go more than two days without exercise, as long as you don’t have any major injuries. The days you rest are prime time for your body to rebuild and recover from the challenges you give it. Without that time, you risk injury and stagnation. Rest to progress!

Summary

You are responsible for your own health. Don’t let bad choices compound into failure, and don’t be unhealthy just because people around you are making bad choices. Don’t use other people as an excuse why you don’t move more and eat better. Don’t let your own insecurities block your progress. Do take rest days so your body can recover and reach new heights.